Thursday, August 30, 2012

Diary of a Nursing Student- [Week 2]

     I've made it through my second week in the nursing program, only 13 more to go this semester! People have been asking me all the time how it's going and my best answer is: It's intense. Very, very intense. I am so thankful I am able to not work right now because I would probably have a nervous breakdown if I had to work too. There is so much material to learn in a relatively short time frame. Typically we learn a skill one week and are tested on it the next. One week. To learn and memorize 22 different movements for range of motion. One week to learn detail steps to taking vital signs. One week. Granted we can re-test on those skills a number of times if needed but it doesn't make it any less of a chore because by the time you master that skill you have ten more to learn and perfect. It just never ends. Remember I also have 8-10 chapters in the books to read, plus study guides and math problems. Yeah, I have no life outside of baby and medicine. The increased stress is already taking a toll on me physically but I'm just going to keep calm (ha) and carry on as best I can.

     Roxas is learning all kinds of new things and I really need to update more on him. I try to get pictures up when I can, but honestly when I get some free time it usually ends up being devoted to school, spend time with my husband, or a nap. Notice clean isn't on that list, my house is a complete and utter disaster zone right now and even though it's driving me up the wall...I just need to chill out and de-stress for a minute. That's how I found myself here writing. I could and probably should be practicing for my vital signs test this afternoon but I'm not. Oh well. Anyways, back to the point. Roxas is now sitting up on his own for a few seconds before toppling over. He really prefers to lay on his back and scoot himself all over the floor, backwards of course. Next week he will be SIX months old. Half a year. It goes very quickly, but I must say I am really excited for the future and I can't wait until he is crawling, walking, talking, running, playing, learning to play his own guitar, going to school...It's all very exciting to think about. I think I'm finally at peace with the fact that he will grow up and I'm looking more towards the future and getting excited about it. I'm enjoying the moments we have now too, but they will soon be gone and we will move on to the next chapter in life.

     That's all for now, hopefully I will be able to manage a 6 month update relatively on time. We are starting solid foods this coming month too, so I'm sure there will be many adorable pictures to post.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Diary of a Nursing Student-[one week]

     It's been a whole week since I started this adventure called nursing school. I've heard rumors, horrible, terrible rumors and turns out they are true. It's intense. Very intense. This past week has been crazy, and I feel like it's been a month. I've learned so much in just the past week I think my brain just might explode. So far though, I'm keeping my head above water. I have got my homework done and I'm even ahead a little bit! Yay!
     I had bootcamp last week. Lucky us as nursing students we got to go to school a whole week before everybody else! It was just one day but it was pretty crazy. They just went over the dress code, policies and procedures. Just basic housekeeping stuff but it was a lot to take in for one day. On the way home though my mom and I took Roxas to the Deer Farm outside of Flagstaff and had a blast seeing Roxas experiencing all of the new animals. He got to see deer, goats, a camel and even reindeer!
Deer!

     It has been a whole new world for me though. Trying to adjust to being a student and mom has been a challenge to say the least. I have about 8 chapters of material to read a week plus 40 pages worth of study guides to fill out and read, and math problems to do and on top of all that I have lab skills I have to practice! Yeah...I'm a little busy. Now throw in taking care of Roxas all day and at least spending a little bit of time relaxing and I'm balancing quite a full plate. I really do love school though. When I actually have an interest in something I can focus and learn so much better. I really do enjoy being in the classes and learning new things- even when they are as simple (ha) as washing your hands or taking a blood pressure. I have gotten much more confident in my abilities and feel a great sense of accomplishment when I actually learn new skills. I know I made the right choice for us and I can't wait to move on in the program and learn even more. We'll see if I still feel the same way in a few weeks but for now I am really, intensely happy with it. 

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Last Days...

      Well today I hung up my apron and walked out of my work for the last time as an employee. I am now officially a stay at home mom and student. I must say I like the sound of that title, even though I'm absolutely terrified of this change. Ever since I was a little girl what I wanted most was to be a mom, and I am so blessed to have this chance to spend time at home with Roxas and chase my dreams of becoming a nurse. I'm not entirely sure how things are going to work out, but I know God will provide us with what we need, even if it's not exactly what I think it right, we will always be taken care of.

     I've worked at Dorita's Place (All natural Dog and Cat Food) for the past 5 1/2 years, it is only my second job...ever. I absolutely loved my job. I got to learn so much about pet nutrition and I've gotten to know so many amazing people throughout my time there. There are many, many, many, customers I will miss dearly. I had so much fun seeing all of the regular furry customers too. More often than not a happy, wagging tail would make my day. I enjoyed teaching people about nutrition and what healthy options were available to their animal. I especially enjoyed customers coming back to tell me how great their pet was doing thanks to a change in diet. Those were the moments I lived for. I saw how much love my customers had for me at my baby shower and I was overwhelmed with the feelings of appreciation and friendship. I would like to let every customer I've ever helped that you are all just as special to me. I will miss you all very, very much.
     Of course there are also my bosses, Dorita and Scott. Dorita is the most spectacular woman I've had the privilege of knowing and working for. She has become a second mom to me in the years I've spent working for her we have formed a bond that will never break. Scott is always there to help unload those unruly pallets of food, and tell me off for lifting something I probably shouldn't be lifting. I can't mention Scott without also saying how much we owe him for our home looking so wonderful. It's thanks to him I have the kitchen and house that I love so very much. Both Dorita and Scott are responsible for making quite a lot of my dreams attainable. Without their unbelievable generosity and kindness to me, my life would be considerable less blessed. It's absolutely a blessing to have them in our lives.

     It was somewhat surreal walking out of work for the last time. Hanging up my apron, turning the key as I left. I still can't get it through my head that I won't be coming back on Tuesday. It was a bittersweet moment. On one hand I am taking a huge step towards my education, and a way to help provide for my family. Then on the other hand, I am leaving behind something, and some people, I really do enjoy and love. I'm afraid of how we will support ourselves, I will admit to many moments of worry over this but I just trust in God and know it will be ok. This is what I feel is right for our family. In two years time I will be graduating college, taking the NCLEX and hopefully going to work as an RN. I've always naturally been drawn to medicine and nursing, probably because I saw my mom doing it and became immersed in the medical world at a young age...but I fell in love with it. I find our bodies to be immensely fascinating and I can't wait to learn more.

     So it is today that I take a step into our future. I'm taking a leap of faith and praying we don't end up flat on our faces. Here is to our bright future...


Monday, August 6, 2012

5 Months Old- Baby's First Road Trip


     5 months old, I can't believe how fast time flies. Next month Roxas will be a whole half a year old! Our little munchkin is growing up, and things are just getting more and more exciting with each day.  He is fascinating to watch as he learns all kind of new things. He is pretty mobile if he wants to be. He will scoot, shove and roll around on the floor or any other surface he is put on! He is starting to grasp the idea of sitting up on his own but usually topples over after a few seconds. He is such a smiley little boy, and quite the flirt too. He is sleeping much better now, he goes to bed at 7:30 and wakes at 11 and 4 so really it's not too terrible.

     We took our first road trip as a family this past weekend, hence the late blog. What a trip it was. I thought it wouldn't be a big deal at all...HA! I refuse to take anymore trips with a baby now. Brace yourself, it's a long story. We went to Palm Springs to attend the wedding of a friend. The ride up wasn't too bad, he only got fussy towards the end of the ride but other than that it went well.
As we left the house Saturday morning

     This is where the trip starts heading downhill. Once we got to hotel we thought we would check in and get him a nap, get ourselves ready and relax a bit. Nope. The hotel didn't have our room ready, turns out check in time is 4pm. The wedding was at 3:30. You see the problem here. We camped out in the hotel lobby for a few hours waiting on our room. All the while Roxas was in desperate need of a nap but with so much to see he wasn't thrilled with the idea of sleeping. I finally got him to sleep for maybe 45 minutes in my arms but it was nothing compared to a real nap.
Camped out in the hotel lobby

     We got into the hotel room at about 2 and frantically got ready to go, throwing ourselves and our supplies together. We made it to the wedding on time and the ceremony was wonderful but Roxas decided it was too quiet in some parts and wanted to fuss, so I stood in the back with him for some parts but really it could have gone much, much worse so I wasn't too stressed...yet.
Then we got to the reception, and my anxiety level went through the roof. We didn't know anybody at the table, and Roxas was in full freak out mode before long. We didn't even get a chance to eat before we very quickly said "Hi" and "Bye" to the bride and groom. We hightailed it out of there with a very unhappy, tired, and cranky baby. We stopped at a California Pizza Kitchen to grab some food and had a beer while we waited. I'm sure we were an interesting sight. We were so relieved to just head back to the room and get Roxas to bed, eat and have a bit of relaxation time. The rest of the night went great and was probably one of the highlights of the trip. Just sitting in our hotel room enjoying dinner together. Although Roxas was up at least 4 times in the night and I was dead tired the next morning.
Just chillin' in the hotel room
The next day we drove a little bit to visit my aunt and uncle in a nearby city. Roxas has finally met all of his great-uncles and his great-aunt! We went out to lunch and had a nice time visiting with family.
 Roxas with his Great-Uncle Ron
Roxas with his Great-Aunt Ginger

     After lunch we started heading home. So far the trip hasn't been terrible but we are glad to be going home. We headed out on the road and our first snafu was trying to locate a darn bathroom in one of the towns. I swear, we had the worst luck at picking just about every place that didn't have public restrooms. After we finally got ourselves sorted out we though everything would be fine from then on. Nope. We were driving along the road and due to a navigating error we ended up making a wrong turn and driving about 60 miles backwards. In the wrong direction. Not exactly productive. After realizing we were driving the wrong way we turned around and started back towards home. Now this wouldn't be much more than severely annoying if we weren't in the middle of absolutely nowhere with the gas needle dangerously close to E. I started trying to find the nearest gas station and all of our technology was completely useless. Our phones couldn't find signal, and the GPS unit was of no help either. So there we were driving through the middle of the desert with nearly no gas. Great. Then Roxas decided we weren't on edge enough and started fussing like crazy. I had to dig very deep to try and find every last ounce of patience my body possesses just to keep from exploding. I finally managed to get a gas station location on one of our phones but it was 26 miles away still, and the needle was on E. Yeah. The tension in that car was palpable to say the least. Kenny took it to 60mph and kept it there, hoping to make the most efficient use of gas possible. I don't think we said a single word for a very, very long time. I just kept praying "Please God don't let us run out of gas, please, please don't let this happen." over and over and over. While we were coming across this stretch of desert the gas light comes on. Then, in a clear answer to my prayers...we come upon the gas station. I've never been so happy to pay nearly $5 a gallon. I think I actually took a breath for the first time in about an hour. I was so relieved and happy I was crying and laughing like a hyena. Roxas started fussing again on the way home but I just hopped in the back and sat with him for the rest of the trip. We made it back home without further incident but let me tell you, it was a rough trip. I have never been so happy to be back at home. 
Conked out on the way home

     So that's our first road trip. It was quite a doozy and I hope we never have that experience ever again! It was great to get back to our regular schedule today and have some normalcy!

     This week is my last week at work and it seems so surreal that I will be starting nursing school in just a few weeks. I'm excited and terrified still but I think excitement is winning right now. I just hope I have the smarts, and the endurance to make it through to the end.

Until next post...





Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Memories...

I was washing dishes tonight and looking up at my garden window above the sink. It is filled with all of my little trinkets and knick knacks that some may find cluttered and annoying and I stopped to think, there are so many little items on these shelves that hold so many memories. I associate most of my memories with something whether it be music, a smell or an item. Many of them are from when I was very little and I can't help but wonder what kind of little things will stand out for Roxas like these do for me. I took a little stroll down memory lane as I was absentmindedly washing a plate...come with me on that stroll. I apologize for the pictures, I am no photographer.

These are the shelves that pretty much contain a memory from the time I was very little, like my small birthstone girl figure, to the not too distant past of when we were first married like my license plate reading "mrsstlr". They all represent and symbolize different things and times in my life and are each very special in their own way.

This snow globe, which has since lost it's water, is from Easter 1991. The music doesn't play so well anymore and the snow has long since fallen never to swirl about again but I still cherish and love this piece of my childhood. I can remember shaking it and listening to the music play "Peter Cottontail" when I was only four or five years old. It is the symbol of my babyhood, and reminds me of how I feel about Roxas now. 
This is my snoopy bank from Knotts Berry Farm, yes I know how much is in there ($7.43 if you really want to know). I've had this bank for as long as I can remember and it's been full for quite sometime. Sadly this is not the original one. In our first year of marriage I managed to knock it off of a shelf and shatter the first one. I quickly purchased a replacement on Ebay but it's still not quite the same. This little bank symbolizes the little girl I once was, stuffing her pennies into a glass snoopy.
You might be wondering why I have a tiny shampoo bottle filled with sand. Well that bottle full of sand is from my brother. When he went on a trip to cancun I was oh maybe 8 or 9 years old. He brought back this little bottle of white sand from the beach there. It seems like a silly old bottle of sand but it means a lot to me. This little bottle is one of my favorite possessions because it came as a present from my brother, whom I adore and look up to. This symbolizes the love and bond I have with my older brothers.
That is a skull. A pig skull to be exact and yes it is real. I never claimed to be normal, and this really just puts the icing on that "she's crazy" cake. We went to a luau where they had the whole pig- apple in the mouth and everything. Being the weirdo I am, I asked to take the head home. I removed everything from the bone and cleaned it all myself. Nobody wanted to help me get the brains out, wonder why. This skull fascinates me on an anatomical level, looking at each cranial suture and examining the nasal turbinates could entertain me for quite a long time. It symbolizes everything I've ever loved about the medical or veterinary world, as weird as it is.
This framed card and rose is from when Kenny and I first began dating, 2 months to be exact. He told me the story about how he walked from his work to the flower shop, and rode home on the city transit bus getting these. They were beautiful little pink roses, and were the start of our wonderful relationship. They remind me of the past and how much fun we've had, and will have in the future. 
This glass dog is the very first thing I bought to decorate the house after we bought it. It's nothing too crazy or special but it sat watch all the while we remodeled the house. To me it symbolizes all we did turning our little fixer upper into a home I love. 
 This is one of those cheesy magnetic dolphin toys that seems to break after a few days. So why is it special enough to hold a place on my shelf? We won it with tickets at Chuck E. Cheese on our first couple's getaway. That day was one of the best I've had at a Chuck E. Cheese. We were with another couple, and we had a blast...just four adults goofing around like little kids. This symbolizes not only our marriage but our ability to never grow up. 


We have come to the end of my little stroll. There are many other items on those shelves that hold a very special place in my heart and it would take much too long to tell about each and every one but remembering all those great times from the past make me look forward to the future and making even better memories for Roxas. I hope one day he can have a shelf, or whatever, full of little trinkets like this. I'm absolutely astonished Roxas will be 5 months on Sunday. The time is flying by and I'm getting even more excited to see him grow and learn, even though it is bittersweet. We have a wedding to attend this weekend so the 5 month update will probably be a bit late, but I promise there will be one!